Friends and neighbors of FieldHaven honor firefighters

In spite of the cool, windy weather, approximately 200 people attended a community fundraiser at FieldHaven in rural Lincoln Oct. 11. The event, organized by the volunteers of FieldHaven Feline Rescue, honored the firefighters and other emergency personnel who fought the Gladding fire on Labor Day. The fire began near Gladding Road and, fueled by strong winds, quickly covered five miles of Lincoln before being brought under control near Virginiatown Road, just east of FieldHaven. Appro-ximately 960 acres were burned, destroying or damaging 16 homes and outbuildings.Helen and Harley Hutchin-son, who lost their home, attended the fundraiser. Special guest Lynsey Bos-tick Duerst, daughter of Fire Captain Warren Bostick, sang the national anthem.More than $3,500 was raised at the event. Ongoing donations are being accepted in a special account for the Gladding Fire Fund set up at River City Bank. Firefighters from several Placer County agencies attended the event and received accolades from everyone for their diligence and hard work to bring the fire under control. Without their dedication and expertise, the fire could have easily been a much larger disaster. Placer County Animal Services also attended to educate attendees on disaster preparedness for pets and livestock. Because of the rural location of the fire, many animals were affected and PCAS coordinated the efforts to evacuate and shelter the four-legged victims.A special animal guest was Flame, an orange tabby cat found near Gladding Road several days after the fire. He was taken into custody by animal services and was hospitalized for nearly a week with severely burned feet and an eye injury. To date, no one has come forward to claim Flame. He is now recovered and has been transferred to FieldHaven, where he is available for adoption.Go online at www.fieldhaven.com for more information.